Artificial Selection: Is it good or bad?

Artificial selection as described in the dictionary is said to be “a process in the breeding of animals and in the cultivation of plants by which the breeder chooses to perpetuate only those forms having certain desirable inheritable characteristics.”



Many phenotypes respond physiologically or developmentally to continuously distributed environmental variables such as temperature and nutritional quality. Phenotypic plasticity can be used to improve the efficiency of artificial selection. Since the quantitative genetic theory shows that ‘infinite-dimensional’ traits such as reaction norms provides a natural framework to accomplish this goal. It is expected to improve selection responses by making more efficient use of information about environmental effects than do conventional methods. The approach is illustrated by deriving an index for mass selection of a phenotypically plastic trait. This suggests that the same approach could be extended directly to more general and efficient breeding schemes, such as those based on general best linear neutral prediction.

Here's a brief background about Artificial Selection:

The term of artificial selection or selective breeding is in contrast with natural breeding, it was developed by Charles Darwin, who is also known and called as the 'Father of Genetics'. The deliberate exploitation of artificial selection has become very common in experimental biology, as well as the discovery and invention of new drugs. Artificial selection may also be unintentional or accidental because it is thought that domestication of crops by early humans was unintentional. Darwin included that 'many domesticated animals and plants had special properties that were developed by intentional animal and plant breeding from individuals that showed desirable characteristics, and discouraging the breeding of individuals with less desirable characteristics'.

The contrast to natural selection is that: Natural selection and artificial selection has no real difference in the generic processes, and this concept of artificial selection was used by Charles Darwin. The selection process of ‘artificial’ is when humans prefer or has been influenced to have a significant effect on the evolution of that particular species. Many evolutionary biologists have viewed this domestication as a type of natural selection and this adaptive change occurs as organisms that are brought under the control of human beings.

Every species on Earth has evolved, and would continue to evolve, through natural selection if left to their own devices, except for one - man. Man has taken species selection into his own hands and created all manner of closely related hybrids. Some of these may have eventually occurred in nature, while others most certainly would not. The practice of artificial selection removes the “survival of the fittest” law from the evolutionary process. But we can artificially breed animal or vegetable varieties that are unlikely to survive if left to fend for themselves, then artificially nurture and reproduce them. Where naturally selected species and hybrids grow and thrive with no human intervention, artificially selected varieties often require more intensive care to ensure they perform as they are expected to.




Now, let's ask ourselves, "Under what circumstances should humans be artificially selecting plants or animals?"

For me, I think we really shouldn't change the way how the animals should look like because God made them in a very beautiful living creature already. I think that some people would like to put a label to their pets or the things they own as "that's mine because I made them" Even when people has changed some features on that living creature, it would still not be enough to say that they have really created that being. In view of the fact that they have just added some extra features to make that living being more appealing to them, but they weren't the ones who really created that animal from scratch.

This topic really saddens me, since as I write these blogs about Designer Babies and Artificial Selection, it made me think how the world is very innovative about designing or putting their 'own touches' of what God has made for us. It saddens me to think that a lot of people are not content on what they see about another living being. And that's why more and more artificial selection is being done on different kinds of living creature.

Living creatures such as babies, animals and even plants shouldn't be taken for granted, because they are the one who keeps the world from evolving. These creatures whom we usually take advantage of are the one who gives us food and nutrients in our bodies to keep us alive. No matter how low or how high they are contributing to the world, we should keep them the way they are and not try to change or add anything for the better. Since sometimes what could be for the better could be for the worst.

But if they would make artificial selection for the benefit of everyone, I think artificial selection would be a good idea. Especially in making plants to have more supply of nutrients for our body.













Sources:
> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artificial+selection >http://www.absolutelyastronomy.com/topics/Artificial_selection
> http://www.jstor.org/pss/75455
> http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-artificial-selection.htm
> http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=F4E0A5099FFB35AE8449CC9ACA321693.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=3791
> http://www.helium.com/items/1735710-selective-breeding-gmo